This free Arkansas paycheck calculator shows your 2026 take-home pay. It covers federal income tax, Arkansas state tax, Social Security and Medicare. Arkansas cut its top income tax rate to 3.7% for 2026. The old rate was 3.9%. Two acts of the May 2026 special session made the cut. The governor signed them on 6 May 2026, and the cut was backdated to 1 January 2026.
That was the fourth cut in four years. The top rate was 7.0% back in 2013. Arkansas charges no local income tax, so no city or county takes a slice of your pay. Enter your salary or hourly rate above and pick your filing status. The calculator handles 401(k) and HSA money the right way.
How Arkansas taxes your paycheck in 2026
Arkansas taxes your income in five steps. You pay 0% on your first $5,600 of taxable income. Dollars from there up to $11,200 are taxed at 2%. Dollars up to $16,000 are taxed at 3%. Dollars up to $26,400 are taxed at 3.4%. Everything above $26,400 is taxed at 3.7%. Only the dollars inside each step pay that step rate.
One schedule covers every filing status. That is unusual, and it catches couples out. Arkansas does not double the bands for a married couple filing together. A couple runs the same $5,600, $11,200, $16,000 and $26,400 steps as a single filer. Your filing status changes your deduction, not your brackets.
The standard deduction is $2,470 per taxpayer. A married couple filing together gets $4,940. A deduction is an amount you subtract from your pay before the tax steps apply. Your Arkansas taxable income is your wages minus that deduction. Pre-tax 401(k) and HSA money comes out first, before the deduction.
Arkansas gives you credits, not exemptions
Other states hand you a personal exemption. An exemption is an amount you subtract from your income before tax is worked out. Arkansas does it a different way. It gives you a personal tax credit of $29 instead. A credit is subtracted from the tax bill itself, after the rates have done their work.
The difference is bigger than it looks. Subtracting $29 from your income at a 3.7% rate would save you about one dollar. Subtracting $29 from your tax bill saves you the whole $29. Each taxpayer gets one $29 credit. A married couple filing together gets $58 between them.
The calculator applies your credit for you. It also stops your Arkansas tax at zero. A credit larger than your tax will not turn into a refund here. Arkansas offers other credits in some situations, and those show up when you file your return. They are not part of your regular paycheck math.
The Low Income Tax Table, and what this page leaves out
Arkansas runs a second tax table for lower earners. It is called the Low Income Tax Table. It hands a smaller bill to single filers with income roughly between $14,644 and $25,300. This calculator does not apply that table. It uses the regular rate schedule for everyone.
So read this carefully if your pay sits in that range. Treat the state tax figure you see as a ceiling. Your real Arkansas tax will be lower than the number shown here. Your federal tax, Social Security and Medicare numbers are still right. Check the Low Income Tax Table on the Arkansas DFA site before you plan around the state figure.
A traditional 401(k) lowers your federal tax and your Arkansas tax. It does not lower Social Security or Medicare. Money sent to an HSA through payroll lowers all four. Arkansas has no city or county income tax. Little Rock, Fayetteville and Fort Smith take nothing extra from your check.
Arkansas paycheck FAQ
- How much is $60,000 after taxes in Arkansas?
- Start with a single filer and no pre-tax money. That worker keeps about $48,658 a year, $1,871 per biweekly paycheck, 18.9% total tax rate. The figure covers federal income tax, Arkansas state tax, Social Security and Medicare. Arkansas has no local income tax to add.
- How much is $100,000 after taxes in Arkansas?
- Take a single filer with no pre-tax money. That worker keeps about $75,690 a year, $2,911 per biweekly paycheck, 24.3% total tax rate. Adding 401(k) or HSA money above will raise the take-home share. Arkansas charges no city or county income tax.
- What is the Arkansas income tax rate in 2026?
- The top rate is 3.7% for 2026, down from 3.9%. The rates below it are 0%, 2%, 3% and 3.4%. Two acts of the May 2026 special session made the cut. The governor signed them on 6 May 2026, backdated to 1 January 2026. It was the fourth cut in four years, from 7.0% in 2013.
- Are Arkansas tax brackets doubled for married couples?
- No. One schedule covers every filing status in Arkansas. A married couple filing together runs the same steps as a single filer. The bands stay at $5,600, $11,200, $16,000 and $26,400. Only the standard deduction doubles, from $2,470 to $4,940.
- What is the Arkansas Low Income Tax Table?
- It is a second table that gives a smaller bill to lower earners. It reaches single filers with income roughly between $14,644 and $25,300. This calculator does not apply it. If your pay sits in that range, your real Arkansas tax will be lower than the state figure shown here.
- What is the $29 Arkansas personal tax credit?
- It is a credit, not an exemption. A credit comes off your tax bill after the rates are applied. An exemption would come off your income before that. Each taxpayer gets $29. A married couple filing together gets $58. The calculator applies it and stops your state tax at zero.
- Does Arkansas have a local income tax?
- No. No Arkansas city or county charges an income tax on wages. Little Rock, Fayetteville, Fort Smith and Springdale all take nothing extra. Your only payroll taxes are federal income tax, Arkansas state tax, Social Security and Medicare.
Sources
- Arkansas DFA — individual income tax
- Arkansas DFA — withholding tax formula
- Tax Foundation — Arkansas tax data
All sources accessed and figures verified August 2026.